SINGAPORE - Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan met Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop in Perth, where they discussed regional developments and reaffirmed the strength of the Singapore-Australia bilateral relationship.

They met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (APRC), which Dr Balakrishnan attended on Saturday (Nov 4) and Sunday, said Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Sunday.

APRC was organised by the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce for political and business leaders from Australia, Germany, and Asia-Pacific countries to explore opportunities to enhance trade and investment flows.

Dr Balakrishnan also met Australia's Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong during the bilateral meetings.

Singapore-Australia ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2015.

The minister delivered a keynote address at the session entitled Policy Dialogue: Geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific Region - Opportunities, Challenges and Perspectives on Sunday, where he discussed the need to promote free trade and closer economic integration even as we restructure our economy domestically.